The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-08-04
GOVERNMENTAL
What is Going on in the State De-
partments.
An Epitome of What Wa 8
Learned at the Capitol
From Thursdays Di'y.l

From Thursdays Diy.l
The rolls of Washington county were
received yesterday. They show decrease
in assessments of $349,286.
Harrison county rendered yesterday
$4,000 of her railroad subsidy bonds.
The following charters were filed yes
terdsy:
The Mortgage Trust and Security com
pany, OF Dallas; ca ital $4,000. Incor-
porators: ]. G. Dsrgsu, John L. Henry
and W. W. Leske.
The Deuison Collegiate and Normal in
stitute.
Attorney general Hogg went from Fort
Worth 70 east Texas, where he will remain
until after he has voted at his old home
against the prohibition amendment.
The newly appointed classifiers of the
public LANDS are busily en-
gagged in preparing their work
at the land office. Those who have come
pleted their Office arrangements, some
TWO or three in number, have already gone
to their fields Of labor, but several are yet
here, making up their files and data.
Payments to the treasurer,o account OF
school land purchases, are coming in at a
iiTe,y rate. About $4,000 was received
yesterday, the payments being made by
postoftice orders, drafts, checks, registered
letters and express packages.
The treasurer is prepared to pay school
warrants up TO and including registered
number SIG.
The folljwing letter was written by
Comptroller Mccall yesterday, in response
to letter of inquiry by tax collector,
regarding retail liquor licenses. The let
ter is fully explanatory of itself:
AUSTIN, July 27, 1887.
Dear Sir-Replying to your note of the
22d inst, I have to say: On page 60
laws 1887, commencing at line TO- appears
the following: "The provisions of this
section shall not be so construed
as to repeal or in any manner
affect any penal laws now
in force in this state concerning the un
lawful sale of spirituous, vinous or nal,
liquors Or medicated bitters capable OF
producing intoxication; nor shall they be
SO construed as depriving any person
firm or association of persons who are
now pursuing the occupation 81
selling spirituous, vinous or malt
liquors, or medicated bitters caps,
BILE of producing intoxication il
any quantity, who have compiled
with the law regulating the same from
continuing the said pursuit or occupation
for the full length of time for which
license was obtained and the law other
wise complied with"
"You will observe that the exemption
from the operation of the law relative tC
the $4,000 bond, ETC., applies only to one
who has complied with the law regulating
the same. In order to have complied
with the former law, see laws 1881
pages 112 and 113; the full amount of tax
must have been paid, and the $1,000
bond required by the old law must have
been given, and these requirements of
the law should have been complied
with before engaging in the busl-
ness of retail liquor dealer
No person can lawfully engage in bust
ness upon which an occupation tax is
levied, without first paying the occupation
tax due thereon, and if he does SO he be-
comes liable to a criminal prosecution,
under article ITO, penal code.
Nor has collector of taxes a legal
right to permit any person to engage in
the retail liquor business without requir-
ing such person to first pay all legal taxes
for state and county purposes, upon such
occupation, and to file the bond provided
for by law. See section 6, page 20, gen
eral laws 1881, chapter 81.
In the case in point, where, as you
state, "a party was engaged in selling
liquors presumably, by retaiD prior to
July 4, 1887, but has not paid
the entire amount of occupation tax, such
old law, and is not exempt from the
operation of the new law, which took effect
on the 4th of July, 1887. In such place il
is your duty to require payment of bal
ance due by such person as occupation
tax. This is necessary for your own pro-
lection; as, if l understand your letter cor
rectly, you have violated the law in receiv-
ing partial payment of the occupation tax,
when you should have required payment
of the entire amount before permitting
the business to be carried on, and if such
person is still engaged in the bust
ness, and was so engaged on the
4th of July, 1887, under the
conditions and circumstances hereinbe-
fore referred to, you are instructed to re-
quire payment from him of the entire
amount of occupation tax for one year,
dating from said 4th day of July, 1887.
and the county clerk of your county, upon
presentation of your receipt for such
taxes and the filing of the bond required
by law, will issue the necessary license
authorizing such person to pursue such
occupation.
From F, idsy's ,ily.]
There was the finale last night to as
nice little transaction as has occurred
for some time. Night before last Arthur
Martin, hack driver, while attending to
his hack at the depot, was met by his
brother-in-law, Pat Mansfield. Words
passed and fight ensued, the result being
a somewhat demolished brother-in-law.
Arrests we're made, and Martin,
before the recorder, yesterday morning,
secured postponement of his case until
to-day, he giving bond for his appear
ance. Just here comes in the interest of
the case. 1t seems that, once upon time,
Martin had enlisted in Uncle Sans ar
tillery, and from it he took such leave of
absence as is not warranted by the articles
of apprenticeship in the magnificent
art of hanging around mud
forts and doing duty in box
house garrison houses, as must be ex-
pected from the boys in blue in time of